What is borderline personality disorder, what are the symptoms of BPD and do any celebrities suffer from it?
People with BPD may experience intense episodes of anger, depression and anxiety lasting days
BORDERLINE personality disorders can, without treatment, become a very serious problem.
We take a look at the symptoms of the condition and how it’s defined...
What is borderline personality disorder (BPD)?
BPD is a long-term pattern of "abnormal behaviour" characterised by unstable emotions, sense of self and relationships with others.
People with borderline personality disorder may experience intense episodes of anger, depression and anxiety which can last for days, .
Sufferers may experience rapid mood swings and as a result, their interests and values can change quickly.
They also tend to view things in extremes - such as all good or completely bad.
What are the symptoms of BPD?
You might be diagnosed with BPD if you have at least five of the following nine symptoms, :
- You feel very worried about people abandoning you, and would do anything to stop that happening.
- You have very intense emotions that last from a few hours to a few days and can change quickly (for example, from feeling very happy and confident to suddenly feeling low and sad).
- You don't have a strong sense of who you are, and it can change significantly depending on who you're with.
- You find it very hard to make and keep stable relationships.
- You feel empty a lot of the time.
- You act impulsively and do things that could harm you (such as binge eating, using drugs or driving dangerously).
- You often self-harm or have suicidal feelings.
- You have very intense feelings of anger, which are really difficult to control.
- When very stressed, you may also experience paranoia or dissociation.
Do any celebrities suffer from BPD?
Celebrities who have exhibited BPD include actress Marylin Monroe, .
The screen siren is understood to have suffered from depression, addiction, low self-esteem and fear of abandonment.
Amy Winehouse is also believed to have had BPD traits including the fact she covered up her problems with alcohol and drugs.
More recently, SNL presenter Pete Davidson - who is currently dating Ariana Grande - wrote about his BPD diagnosis on Instagram, rejecting the idea that “just because someone has a mental illness does not mean they can’t be happy”.
Get clued up about mental health
Many characters in our favourite movies were BPD sufferers, including Winona Ryder's character Susanna in Girl, Interrupted.
So too was Jennifer Lawrence's Tiffany in Silver Linings Playbook.
The fictional character displays fear of abandonment, anger, instability, and many other traits.